JPH09201744A - Measuring tool and measuring device of machine tool - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce consumption power, so as to improve efficiency of automatic measuring work, by driving a sending element by a transmitting circuit so that a pulse group may be immediately sent by a contact detecting signal from a contact detecting means regardless of the specified time interval, and supplying power from a battery to respective circuits of a measuring tool. SOLUTION: When a pulse group composed of a plurality of pulses of space transmission wave are sent from a transmitting circuit 25 at the specified interval to a sending element 104, the sending element 104 is so driven that the pulse group including the contact detecting data may be immediately sent by a contact detecting signal from a contact detecting means for detecting the contact of a measuring element with a work piece regardless of the specified time interval. Power is supplied from a battery 10 to respective circuits of a measuring tool. Therefore, power consumption can be reduced, and automatic measuring work can be efficiently performed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention uses a measuring tool that is replaceably mounted on a spindle of a machine tool for measuring the position of a reference plane of the workpiece, the dimension of the workpiece after machining, and the like. The present invention relates to the measuring device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A machine tool such as a machining center has a measuring tool which is removably mounted in a tool mounting hole of a spindle, and the position of a reference plane of a workpiece and the dimension of the machined workpiece are numerically controlled. It is common to automatically measure etc. It is advantageous that the measuring tool for this automatic measurement has a built-in battery for power supply and can transmit a measurement signal wirelessly.
This is because the cable for power supply and the cable for signal transmission are not required, and the work of connecting the cables is not necessary, and thus the handling is easy. As a power source battery, there are a battery that uses a normal chemical battery and a battery that uses a solar battery as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2-23300. Tokuhei 2
The measurement tool described in Japanese Patent No. 23300 transmits a measurement signal by an infrared PFM signal, and transmits the infrared PFM signal while the power switch is turned on.

[0003]

As described above, in the conventional measuring tool, since the wireless signal is transmitted while the power switch is on, the power consumption is large and the chemical battery is used. For those with solar cells, the replacement period of the batteries was short, and for those using solar cells, the required illuminance was large. Therefore, the battery replacement work becomes frequent and the work efficiency is lowered, or the measurement work is interrupted due to insufficient illuminance and the processing cannot be continued in some cases.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a measuring tool and a measuring device for a machine tool, which consumes less power and can efficiently perform automatic measuring work.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, a measuring tool of a machine tool of the present invention is a measuring tool detachably mounted in a tool mounting hole provided in a spindle of a machine tool. A probe for contacting the workpiece to detect its contact position, contact detection means for detecting contact between the probe and the workpiece, and at least one for transmitting a spatially propagating wave propagating in air A transmission element and a pulse group composed of a plurality of pulses of the space propagating wave are transmitted at a predetermined time interval, and contact detection data is immediately obtained by the contact detection signal from the contact detection means regardless of the predetermined time interval. It has a transmission circuit that drives the transmission element so as to transmit the pulse group that includes it, and a battery that supplies power supply power to each circuit provided in the measurement tool.

In the measuring tool of the machine tool,
It is preferable to have at least one receiving element that receives an operation command pulse by the space propagating wave, and an operation control unit that controls the start and stop of the operation of the transmission circuit according to the reception signal of the receiving element.

In the measuring tool of the machine tool,
It is preferable that the space propagating wave is infrared light, the transmitting element is an infrared light emitting element, and the receiving element is an infrared light receiving element.

Further, in the measuring tool of the above machine tool,
The mounting detection means is provided in the spindle mounting part of the measuring tool and detects that the measuring tool is mounted in the tool mounting hole of the machine tool spindle, and the start and stop of the operation of the transmission circuit by the detection signal from the mounting detection means. An operation control means for controlling can be provided.

Further, in the measuring tool of the above machine tool,
It is preferable that the battery is a solar cell, and has a constant voltage circuit that makes the output voltage of the solar cell a constant voltage and supplies power to each circuit provided in the measurement tool.

Further, it is preferable that the measuring tool of the machine tool of the preceding paragraph has a storage means for storing the current supplied from the solar cell.

In the measuring tool of the machine tool,
The pulse group is composed of 3 or more pulses, the first pulse and the last pulse are pulses for data synchronization and protection, the intermediate pulse is a data bit representing information, and one of the intermediate pulses is It is preferably a data bit that represents contact detection data.

Further, in the measuring tool of the above machine tool,
Comparing the output voltage of the battery with a first reference voltage, and if the output voltage of the battery is smaller than the first reference voltage, an operation stopping means for stopping the operation of the transmission circuit; and an output voltage of the battery. With a second reference voltage higher than the first reference voltage, and if the output voltage of the battery is lower than the second reference voltage, a voltage drop detection means for outputting a voltage drop signal, The pulse group consists of 4 or more pulses, the first pulse and the last pulse are data synchronization and protection pulses, the intermediate pulse is a data bit representing information, and one of the intermediate pulses is It is preferable that the data bit represents the touch detection data, and the other one of the intermediate pulses is a data bit representing the voltage drop signal data.

In the measuring tool of the machine tool,
Comparing the output voltage of the solar cell with a first reference voltage,
If the output voltage of the solar cell is lower than the first reference voltage, the operation stopping means for stopping the operation of the transmission circuit, and the second reference voltage that outputs the output voltage of the solar cell higher than the first reference voltage. If the output voltage of the solar cell is smaller than the second reference voltage, the illuminance shortage detection means for outputting an illuminance shortage signal is provided, and the pulse group is 4
The first pulse and the last pulse consist of more than one pulse, and the first pulse and the last pulse are pulses for data synchronization and protection, the intermediate pulse is a data bit representing information, and one of the intermediate pulses represents the touch detection data. It is preferable that the other one of the intermediate pulses is a data bit, which is a data bit representing the insufficient illumination intensity signal data.

A measuring device for a machine tool according to the present invention comprises a measuring tool detachably mounted in a tool mounting hole provided in a spindle of a machine tool, and the measuring tool provided near a tool exchange position for a predetermined time. A measuring device for a machine tool having an illuminating means for detecting the contact between the probe and the workpiece, the probe being in contact with the workpiece to detect the contact position. The contact detecting means, at least one transmitting element for transmitting a space propagating wave propagating in the air, and a pulse group consisting of a plurality of pulses of the space propagating wave are transmitted at predetermined time intervals, and the contact detecting means outputs the pulse group. The contact detection signal causes the transmitter circuit to drive the transmitter element so as to immediately transmit the pulse group including the contact detection data regardless of the predetermined time interval, and the power supply to each circuit provided in the measuring tool. And a storage unit for storing the current supplied from the solar cell, and a constant voltage circuit for converting the output voltage of the storage unit into a constant voltage and supplying power to each circuit provided in the measuring tool. Have.

Further, in the measuring device of the machine tool,
The measurement tool compares the output voltage of the solar cell with a first reference voltage, and if the output voltage of the solar cell is smaller than the first reference voltage, operation stopping means for stopping the operation of the transmission circuit. And comparing the output voltage of the solar cell with a second reference voltage greater than the first reference voltage, and if the output voltage of the solar cell is less than the second reference voltage,
An illuminance deficiency detection means for outputting an illuminance deficiency signal, and the pulse group transmitted by the transmission circuit is composed of 4 or more pulses, and the first pulse and the last pulse are pulses for data synchronization and protection. , The intermediate pulse is a data bit representing information, one of the intermediate pulses is a data bit representing the touch detection data, and the other one of the intermediate pulses is a data bit representing the illuminance shortage signal data. It is preferable.

[0016]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of a horizontal machining center as a machine tool using the measuring tool and the measuring device of the present invention. A table 2 is mounted on the first bed 1 so as to be slidable in the horizontal spindle axis direction (Z axis). Further, on the table 2, the index table 3
Is rotatably indexed around the vertical axis (B-axis rotation). The workpiece W is mounted on the indexing table 3 and measurement and machining operations are performed. A column 5 is placed on the second bed 4 connected to the first bed 1 so as to be slidable in a horizontal direction and a direction (X axis) orthogonal to the Z axis. A spindle head 6 is installed on the column 5 so as to be movable in the vertical direction (Y axis), and a spindle 61 is rotatably supported on the spindle head 6 about a spindle axis.

At the tip of the main shaft 61, there is provided a tool mounting hole in which a machining tool such as a cutting tool and a measuring tool are interchangeably mounted, and each tool which is automatically replaced by an automatic tool changer is a tool. It is mounted in the mounting hole. The automatic tool changer removes the tool magazine 7 provided on the upper surface of the spindle head 6 and capable of rotary indexing and the tool socket in which a desired tool is inserted and stored from the tool magazine, conveys it, and positions it parallel to the spindle axis. Intermediate transfer device 8 and spindle 61
Tool exchange arm 9 for exchanging the tool attached to the tool and the tool positioned at the exchange position by the intermediate transfer device 8.
And consists of The measuring tool 10 is normally stored in a tool socket on the tool magazine 7 along with other processing tools, etc., but is mounted in the tool mounting hole of the spindle 61 by an automatic tool changer during the measuring operation.

As will be described in detail later, the measuring tool 10 has a light emitting element which operates by using a solar cell as a power source and emits an infrared pulse. A lighting means 15 can be provided near the intermediate transfer device 8, and the measurement tool 10 is irradiated with illumination light for a predetermined time before the measurement tool 10 is mounted on the spindle to previously output the output current of the solar cell to the storage means. Can be charged. The receiving unit 16 is provided at an appropriate position such as the ceiling of the splash guard S, receives a signal by an infrared pulse from the measuring tool 10, and transmits the information to the numerical controller side. In the measurement work, the probe 11 of the measuring tool 10 is brought into contact with the workpiece W by controlling the X, Y, and Z axes, and a contact signal is sent from the measuring tool 10 at the time of contact. The relative position between the spindle 61 and the workpiece W when the contact signal is generated is determined by the X-axis linear scale 12 and the X-axis slider 13,
The measurement is performed by a Y-axis linear scale 14 and a Y-axis slider (not shown), a Z-axis linear scale (not shown) between the first bed 1 and the table 2, and a Z-axis slider (not shown).

FIG. 2 shows the structure of the measuring tool 10 and the transmission and reception of signals from the receiving unit 16 to the numerical controller 19. The measuring tool 10 has a probe 11, and detects contact between the probe 11 and the workpiece W. The taper shank 101 of the measuring tool 10 has a shape that fits exactly into the tool mounting hole of the spindle 61. If necessary, the operation member 105 of the mounting detection switch is provided so as to project from the fitting surface of the taper shank 101, and the mounting detection switch detects that the measuring tool 10 is mounted in the tool mounting hole,
The internal circuit can be operated. A solar cell 103 is provided on the outer surface of the measuring tool 10.
The solar cell 103 is provided with 12 unit batteries connected in series so as to surround the outer periphery of the measurement tool 10. Power is supplied to the internal circuit by the solar cell 103. The outer surface of the measuring tool 10 is further provided with one light receiving element 102 and eight light emitting elements 104 evenly dispersed on the outer circumference.

The measuring tool 10 mounted on the spindle 61 is positioned at the measurement start position, and the indexing function of the spindle 61 (spindle orientation function) is used to index the light-receiving element 102 toward the receiving unit 16. Done. The operation command signal of the measuring tool 10 is transmitted from the numerical controller 19 to the transmission / reception circuit 18, and further, the transmission / reception circuit 18
Is transmitted to the receiving unit 16 via a communication cable 17 such as a twisted pair cable. The receiving unit 16 is also provided with a light emitting element and a light receiving element, and in response to an operation command signal from the numerical controller 19, an infrared operation command pulse is transmitted from the light emitting element to the measuring tool 10. The transmitting circuit inside the measuring tool 10 starts its operation by receiving this operation command pulse. As described above, one light receiving element 102 is sufficient, but of course, a plurality of light receiving elements 102 may be provided. In particular, if about eight pieces are evenly distributed and provided on the outer circumference, it is possible to eliminate the indexing operation of the spindle 61 at the start of the measurement work.

Further, the measuring work is started, and the measuring tool 10
A contact signal is emitted from the light emitting element 104 of the measuring tool 10 as an infrared pulse at the moment when the contact point 11 of the measuring tool 11 contacts the workpiece W. Eight light-emitting elements 104 are evenly distributed on the outer circumference of the measuring tool 10 so that infrared rays reach the receiving unit 16 regardless of the posture of the measuring tool 10. Here, infrared rays are used as the spatially propagating waves, but when an ultrasonic wave, an electric wave, or the like having a long wavelength and almost omnidirectional is used, only one transmitting element may be used to transmit the spatially propagating waves. . The contact signal is sent from the receiving unit 16 through the communication cable 17 to the transmission / reception circuit 18, and is further transmitted to the numerical controller 19 as a skip signal. The numerical controller 19 reads the values of the linear scales of the X, Y, and Z axes at this moment to obtain the coordinate values of the contact surface.
The infrared rays forming the operation command pulse and the infrared rays forming the contact signal may have different wavelengths in order to prevent them from interfering with each other, but they interfere with each other due to the directivity of the light receiving element and the light emitting element. If they are arranged so as not to have the same wavelength, they may have the same wavelength.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a circuit built in the measuring tool 10. The output voltage Vc of the solar cell 103 is converted into a constant voltage by the constant voltage circuit 24 and becomes Vcc.
Is supplied to each circuit in this figure. In addition, the output voltage Vc of the solar cell 103 is determined by
Of the reference voltage V1 and if Vc <V1, a reset signal is sent to the latch circuit 21. Furthermore, the solar cell 103
Output voltage Vc is compared with a second reference voltage V2 larger than the first reference voltage V1 by the illuminance shortage detection means 23, and if Vc <V2, an illuminance shortage signal is sent to the transmission circuit 25.

The operation of the transmitting circuit 25 is started when the operation command pulse is received by the light receiving element 102.
The operation command pulse received by the light receiving element 102 passes through the amplifier circuit 20 and is latched by the latch circuit 21. The transmission circuit 25 continues to operate while the latch signal in which the operation command pulse is latched is on. When the light receiving element 102 receives another operation command pulse, the latch signal of the latch circuit 21 is turned off and the operation of the transmission circuit 25 is stopped. Moreover, when the output voltage of the solar cell 103 is small, Vc <
When the voltage becomes V1 and the reset signal is given from the operation stopping means 22 to the latch circuit 21, the latch circuit 21 is reset, the latch operation is not performed even when the operation command pulse is received, and the transmission circuit 25 is in the operation stop state. Will continue.

The output voltage of the solar cell 103 is V1 ≦ Vc <
In the case of V2, the illuminance shortage detection unit 23 outputs an illuminance shortage signal to the transmission circuit 25, and the transmission circuit 25 transmits the information of the illuminance shortage signal to the numerical control device 19 side via the drive circuit 26 and the light emitting element 104. To do. Here, since the output voltage of the solar cell 103 required for normal operation is about 6V when 12 solar cells are connected in series, V1 is 4V and V2 is 5V.
It should be set to a degree. While the transmission circuit 25 is operating,
A pulse group consisting of four pulses is emitted from the infrared light emitting element 104 every 300 msec. When the stylus 11 of the measuring tool 10 comes into contact with the workpiece and the touch switch 27 changes from the closed state to the open state, an interrupt occurs, and the contact information is immediately included from the transmission circuit 25 even during the pause period of 300 msec. A pulse group is emitted.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the receiving unit 16. The operation command pulse from the communication cable 17 is received by the line receiver 165 and the drive circuit 1
An infrared pulse is emitted from the light emitting element 167 via 66. The infrared pulse group from the measuring tool 10 is received by the light receiving element 161, passes through the amplifier circuit 162 and the waveform shaping circuit 163, is output to the communication cable 17 via the line driver 164, and is transmitted to the numerical controller 19 side. It The operation command pulse is a single-shot pulse,
The pulse group from the measuring tool 10 including the contact information and the like is a pulse group consisting of four pulses as described in detail later.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the transmission / reception circuit 18. The operation command from the numerical control device 19 is converted into a pulse signal through the interface circuit 187, further converted into a pulse having a constant pulse width by the monostable multivibrator circuit 188, and the line driver 189.
Is output to the communication cable 17. Further, by pushing the manual switch 186, the operation command pulse can be manually transmitted. The information pulse group from the measuring tool 10 is received by the line receiver 181 from the communication cable 17, the content of each data bit described later is taken out by the receiving circuit 182, and if the contact data bit is “0”, it is passed through the interface circuit 183. If the illuminance shortage data bit is "0", the skip signal is sent to the numerical controller 19 as an illuminance shortage signal. If the information pulse group does not comply with a predetermined format described later, an error signal is output from the receiving circuit 182, and if no pulse is received for a fixed time, for example, 400 msec, the reception monitoring timer 184 times out. The signal is output. The error signal and the time-out signal are input to the OR gate 185, the logical sum of them is output to the numerical controller 19 as a transmission abnormality signal.

Similarly, even when a chemical battery is used, it is possible to detect the presence / absence of the battery life by comparing the output voltage Vc of the battery with the reference voltages V1 and V2 to instruct the replacement of the chemical battery. it can. When the state of V1 ≦ Vc <V2 is reached, the voltage drop signal of the chemical battery is transmitted to the numerical controller via the transmission circuit 25 instead of the illuminance shortage signal. On the side of the numerical controller 19, a battery replacement message is displayed. When the state of Vc <V1 is reached, the operation stopping means 22 resets the latch circuit 21 as in the case of the solar cell, so that the transmission circuit 25 is in the operation stopped state and the transmission abnormality signal indicates the numerical controller 19. Is output to.

FIG. 6 shows a specific example of the format of the information pulse group transmitted from the measuring tool 10. The pulse group consists of 4 pulses, and each pulse is P1, P2, P from the beginning.
3 and P4. The pulse width T1 of each pulse is 4 μse
c, the pulse rest time T2 is about 16 μsec. The time interval between the pulse group and the next pulse group, that is, the transmission pause time T3 is about 300 msec. The first pulse P1 of the pulse group is a start pulse, that is, a pulse for synchronizing subsequent data bits. Next pulse P2
Is a pulse for data and assigns information of the contact signal. If the pulse P2 is "1", that is, the pulse P2 exists, the probe 11 and the workpiece W are not in contact with each other, and when the pulse P2 is "0", that is, the pulse P2 does not exist, the probe 11 and the workpiece W do not exist. It represents the moment when W contacts.

The next pulse P3 is also a data pulse and is assigned the information of the illuminance shortage signal. If the pulse P3 is "1", that is, the pulse exists, the illuminance insufficient signal is off, that is, the output voltage Vc of the solar cell 103 is the second reference voltage V2 or more, and the pulse P3 is "0", that is, the pulse exists. For example, it means that the illuminance shortage signal is on, that is, the output voltage Vc of the solar cell 103 is lower than the second reference voltage V2. The last pulse P4 is an end pulse, which is a pulse for confirming the format of the information pulse group and ensuring the validity of the data. Here, the pulse group is made up of four pulses, but the number of pulses may be increased or decreased. If the number is reduced, the end pulse can be omitted, and if the number is increased, a bit for error detection or error correction such as a parity bit can be added to improve data security.

By driving the light emitting element with a pulse group consisting of a pulse train of a constant cycle as shown in FIG. 6, it becomes possible to distinguish between the signal light and the disturbance light, and the substantial S / N ratio can be increased. . Therefore, the transmission distance can be increased and the reliability of information can be increased. Also, by providing a transmission pause time, the power consumption of the circuit can be made extremely small, so the battery life can be extended when a chemical battery is used, and even in a low illuminance environment when a solar cell is used. It becomes possible to operate. For example, the current Ip flowing through the entire light emitting element is set to 2 A, and the time set value of each pulse is T1 = 4 μs as described above.
If ec, T2 = 16 μsec and T3 = 300 msec, the average current Iav flowing through the light emitting element is Iav = Ip × 4 × T1 / (4 × T1 + 4 × T2 + T
3) = about 0.1 mA, and the power consumption is very small compared to the case where there is no transmission pause time T3 (when T3 = 0).

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the transmission circuit 25 of the measuring tool 10. This operation is started by turning on the latch output of the latch circuit 21.
First, in the flow F01, the pulse P1 is sent to the drive circuit 26 to cause the light emitting element 104 to emit an infrared pulse. The pulse width of the pulse P1 is T1, and the time T1 elapses by the transmission of the pulse P1. Flow F02 is rest time T2
Is the process of passing. In flow F03, the state of the touch switch 27 is checked to determine whether the touch switch 27 is on. The touch switch 27 is a normally-closed contact and is normally on, and is turned off when the contact point 11 contacts the workpiece W. When the touch switch 27 is on, that is, in the non-contact state, the pulse P2 having the pulse width T1 is transmitted in the flow F05. If the touch switch 27 is off, that is, if it is in a contact state, the flow F04 simply waits for the time T1 to elapse. In this case, the pulse P2 is "0", that is, there is no pulse P2.

Further, the flow F06 waits for the quiescent time T2 to elapse, and then the pulse P3 is processed in the same manner as the pulse P2. In flow F07, it is determined whether the illuminance shortage signal is on. In the normal case where the illuminance is not insufficient, the flow proceeds to F09 and the pulse P3 is transmitted. When the illuminance shortage signal is on, the flow F08 simply waits for the time T1 to elapse. In this case, the pulse P3 is "0", that is, the pulse P3 does not exist. The flow F10 waits for the pause time T2 to elapse, then the flow F11 sends a pulse P4, and the flow F12 waits for the pause time T2 to elapse.

Next, while waiting for the transmission suspension time T3 to elapse by the loop of the flow F13 and the flow F14, during that time, the state of the touch switch 27 is monitored in the flow F13, and when the touch switch 27 changes from ON to OFF, That is, at the moment when the contact point 11 contacts the workpiece W, the interruption process is started, and the process returns to the flow F01 without waiting for the transmission pause time T3 to perform the sending process of the information pulse groups P1 to P4. When it is determined in the flow F14 that the transmission suspension time T3 has elapsed, it is determined in the flow F15 whether the latch output of the latch circuit 21 is ON. If the latch output is ON, the operation is continued and the process returns to the flow F01. If the latch output is off, the processing is terminated and the operation is stopped.

FIG. 8 shows the receiving circuit 18 in the transmitting / receiving circuit 18.
It is a figure explaining operation | movement of 2. The pulses P1 to P4 of the information pulse group reach the reception circuit 182 as reception pulses. The pulse P1 is a start pulse for synchronization, and the receiving circuit 182 receives this pulse P1 to clear the internal timer and start time counting. Then, the detection windows W1 to W4 are opened on the time axis, and the presence or absence of the pulses P1 to P4,
By detecting the pulse width and the like, it is checked whether or not each pulse has a predetermined format.

Time widths WW1 to WW4 of the detection windows W1 to W4
And the start times TW2 to TW4 are pulses P1 to P, respectively.
The range including 4 is set, and the time width of the rear detection window is set to be gradually wider in consideration of a clock error between the transmitting side and the receiving side, a time delay of the operation of the receiving circuit 182 and the like. That is, WW1 <WW2 <WW3 <WW4. Pulse width T1 is 4 μsec, pulse pause time T2 is 16 μse
In the case of c, WW1 = 6 μsec, WW2 = 7 μse
c, WW3 = 8 μsec, WW4 = 10 μsec, TW
2 = 18 μsec, TW3 = 38 μsec, TW4 = 5
It may be set to about 7 μsec. The receiving circuit 182 is
The data regarding the presence / absence of a pulse in the detection windows W2 and W3 is latched when the detection window W4 ends and both the start pulse P1 of the detection window W1 and the end pulse P4 of the detection window W4 are confirmed. A skip signal and an illuminance shortage signal are output according to the latched signal, and an error signal is output if the end pulse P4 cannot be detected in the detection window W4.

FIG. 9 shows a circuit in which a capacitor 29 is added to the solar cell 103 of the measuring tool 10 to accumulate the output current of the solar cell 103. The output current of the solar cell 103 is charged in the capacitor 29 via the diode 28. Even if the illuminance decreases and the output voltage of the solar cell 103 decreases, the current does not reversely flow from the capacitor 29 to the solar cell side due to the action of the diode 28 to cause discharge. The output voltage of the capacitor 29 is connected to the constant voltage circuit 24 of FIG. 3, and discharges while supplying operating power to each circuit. The measurement tool 10 can be measured even when the illuminance at the time of actual measurement is low by charging the measurement tool 10 at the tool exchange position and the like with an amount required for the measurement operation by the illumination means or the like.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 1, an illuminating means 15 is provided in the vicinity of the intermediate transfer device 8 of the automatic tool changing device, and the measuring tool 10 is attached to the measuring tool 10 for a predetermined time before being mounted on the spindle. The capacitor 29 is charged with the output current of the solar cell 103 by irradiating with illumination light. The terminal voltage Vco of the capacitor 29 changes as shown in FIG. The vertical axis represents the terminal voltage Vco of the capacitor 29, and the horizontal axis represents the time from the lighting start time C0 by the lighting means 15. If the terminal voltage Vco at the lighting start point C0 is 0 V, the terminal voltage Vco increases linearly with the start of lighting and draws a curve that approaches the output voltage of the solar cell 103 while saturating with time. The illumination is continued for a time T10 when the capacitor 29 charges a sufficient amount of electricity required during the measurement work of the measuring tool 10, that is, a time T10 when the terminal voltage Vco reaches the charging completion voltage V3. From the end point C1 of the illumination to the start point C2 of the operation of the measurement work, there is time for mounting the measuring tool 10 in the tool mounting hole of the spindle 61, and during that time, the terminal voltage Vco due to a slight power consumption by the circuit inside the measuring tool 10. Also decreases slightly.

Since the measuring tool 10 starts transmitting the infrared information pulse group by the operation command pulse at the operation start point C2, the terminal voltage Vco starts to decrease according to the power consumption. If the time point at which the terminal voltage Vco decreases and reaches the second reference voltage V2 is C3, the illuminance shortage signal turns on immediately after the time point C3. Therefore, the numerical controller 19 can know the time point C3 from the illuminance shortage signal. it can. If the time point when the terminal voltage Vco decreases and reaches the first reference voltage V1 is C4, the operation stopping means 22 operates immediately after the time point C4 and the operation of the transmission circuit 25 stops, so that the time point until the time point C4 is the measuring tool. 10 possible operating times.

The time from the time point C3 to the time point C4, that is, the operation limit time T11 can be calculated or actually measured from the capacity of the capacitor 29, the power consumption of the circuit of the measuring tool 10, the set value of the second reference voltage V2, and the like. . The capacitance of the capacitor 29, the second reference voltage V2, etc. may be set so that the operation limit time T11 is a time sufficient for the actual measurement work. Further, since the information that the time point C3 is reached is included in the information pulse group as the illuminance shortage signal, the numerical control device 19 predicts the time point C4, which is the operable limit of the measuring tool 10, by measuring the time from the time point C3. Therefore, it is possible to perform an appropriate treatment before the operation of the measuring tool 10 is stopped. For example, it is possible to suspend the measurement work and charge the lighting means 15 again. In this way, it is possible to prevent sudden stoppage of operation during the measurement work, and to enable automatic measurement and automatic processing such as unmanned operation.

In this embodiment, the operation command pulse is latched by the latch circuit to control the operation of the transmitting circuit of the measuring tool. However, a mounting detecting switch for detecting the mounting state of the measuring tool is provided, The transmitter circuit may be operated by mounting the measuring tool on the spindle, and may be stopped by removing the measuring tool from the spindle. Also,
As a battery, the maximum effect is achieved by applying the present invention to a measurement tool that uses a solar cell, but even a measurement tool that uses a chemical battery can lengthen the battery replacement cycle and reduce the battery replacement work to reduce work efficiency. Has the effect of increasing. In addition to infrared rays, radio waves and ultrasonic waves can be used as the spatial propagation waves.

[0041]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, it has the following effects.

By driving the light emitting element with a pulse group consisting of a pulse train of a constant period, it becomes possible to distinguish between the signal light and the disturbance light, and the substantial S / N ratio can be increased. Therefore, the transmission distance can be increased,
Information reliability can also be increased.

Since the circuit power consumption can be made extremely small by providing the transmission pause time, the battery life can be extended when a chemical battery is used, and the low illuminance environment can be obtained when a solar cell is used. However, it can be operated.

Since the contact signal of the contact between the measuring element and the work piece is immediately transmitted by the interrupt processing, accurate measurement work without a measurement error becomes possible.

Since the information pulse group includes the information of the illuminance shortage signal, the numerical control device can know the illuminance shortage and the remaining operable time of the measuring tool to prevent sudden operation stop and prevent the operation stop. It is possible to take appropriate measures.

When a chemical battery is used, since the information pulse group includes the information of the voltage drop signal instead of the illuminance shortage signal, the numerical control device can know the voltage drop of the battery and sudden stop of the operation. Therefore, it is possible to take appropriate measures such as a battery replacement instruction before the operation is stopped.

The start pulse and the end pulse of the information pulse group make it possible to transmit a highly reliable intermediate data bit.

When the output of the solar cell is charged by illuminating in the vicinity of the tool change position, the operation can be performed even when the environment for performing the measurement work is low illuminance, and unmanned operation at night is possible. And

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a horizontal machining center using a measuring tool and a measuring device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of the measuring tool 10 and transmission / reception of signals from the receiving unit 16 to the numerical controller 19.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a circuit built in the measurement tool 10.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a reception unit 16.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a transmission / reception circuit 18.

FIG. 6 is a waveform diagram showing the format of an information pulse group transmitted from the measuring tool 10.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an operation of the transmission circuit 25.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an operation of a reception circuit 182.

FIG. 9 is a circuit diagram of a circuit in which a capacitor 29 is added to the solar cell 103.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing changes in the terminal voltage of the capacitor 29.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 ... 1st bed 2 ... Table 3 ... Indexing table 4 ... 2nd bed 5 ... Column 6 ... Spindle head 7 ... Tool magazine 8 ... Intermediate transfer device 9 ... Tool exchange arm S ... Splash guard W ... Workpiece 10 ... Measurement Tool 11 ... Measuring element 12 ... X-axis linear scale 13 ... X-axis slider 15 ... Illuminating means 16 ... Receiving unit 21 ... Latch circuit 22 ... Operation stopping means 23 ... Illuminance shortage detecting means 24 ... Constant voltage circuit 25 ... Transmitting circuit 61 ... Spindle 102 ... Light receiving element 103 ... Solar cell 104 ... Light emitting element

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. A measuring tool (10) removably mounted in a tool mounting hole provided in a spindle (61) of a machine tool, which is brought into contact with a workpiece (W) to detect the contact position. And a contact detection means (27) for detecting contact between the probe (11) and the workpiece (W), and at least one transmitter for transmitting a spatially propagating wave propagating in the air. An element (104) and a pulse group consisting of a plurality of pulses of the space propagating wave are transmitted at a predetermined time interval, and a contact detection signal from the contact detection means (27) immediately outputs the pulse regardless of the predetermined time interval. A transmitter circuit (25) for driving the transmitter element (104) so as to emit a pulse group including contact detection data
And a battery (103) for supplying power to each circuit provided in the measuring tool (10). 2. The measuring tool for a machine tool according to claim 1, wherein at least one receiving element (102) for receiving the operation command pulse by the space propagating wave, and a received signal of the receiving element (102). Transmission circuit (25)
Control means for controlling the start and stop of the operation of the
1) A measuring tool for a machine tool having: 3. The measuring tool for a machine tool according to claim 2, wherein the spatially propagating wave is infrared light, the transmitting element is an infrared light emitting element (104), and the receiving element is infrared light receiving. A measuring tool for a machine tool, which is an element (102). 4. A measuring tool for a machine tool according to claim 1, wherein the measuring tool (10) is provided on a spindle mounting portion (101), and the measuring tool (10) is a machine tool spindle (61). A measuring tool for a machine tool, comprising: mounting detection means for detecting mounting in a mounting hole; and operation control means for controlling operation start and operation stop of a transmission circuit according to a detection signal from the mounting detection means. 5. The measuring tool for a machine tool according to claim 1, wherein the battery is a solar cell (103), and the output voltage of the solar cell (103) is constant. A measuring tool for a machine tool, which has a constant voltage circuit (24) for supplying power to each circuit provided in the measuring tool (10) by converting it into a voltage. 6. The measuring tool for a machine tool according to claim 5, further comprising a storage unit (29) for storing a current supplied from the solar cell (103). 7. The measuring tool for a machine tool according to claim 1, wherein the pulse group is composed of 3 or more pulses, and a first pulse (P1) and a last pulse (P4). Is a pulse for data synchronization and protection, and an intermediate pulse (P2,
A measuring tool for a machine tool, wherein P3) is a data bit representing information, and one of the intermediate pulses (P2, P3) is a data bit representing the contact detection data. 8. The measuring tool for a machine tool according to claim 1, wherein the output voltage (Vc) of the battery (103) is compared with a first reference voltage (V1). If the output voltage (Vc) of the battery (103) is lower than the first reference voltage (V1),
An operation stopping means (22) for stopping the operation of the transmission circuit (25), and a second reference voltage (V2) having an output voltage (Vc) of the battery (103) larger than a first reference voltage (V1). The output voltage (Vc) of the battery (103) is lower than the second reference voltage (V2), the voltage drop detection means (23) for outputting a voltage drop signal, The group consists of 4 or more pulses, the first pulse (P1) and the last pulse (P4) are pulses for data synchronization and protection, the intermediate pulse is a data bit representing information, and the intermediate pulse One (P
2) is a data bit representing the contact detection data,
A measuring tool of a machine tool in which another one (P3) of the intermediate pulses is a data bit representing the voltage drop signal data. 9. The measuring tool for a machine tool according to claim 5, wherein the output voltage (Vc) of the solar cell (103) is compared with a first reference voltage (V1). If the output voltage (Vc) of the solar cell (103) is smaller than the first reference voltage (V1), the operation stopping means (22) for stopping the operation of the transmitting circuit (25), and the solar The output voltage (Vc) of the battery (103) is compared with a second reference voltage (V2) larger than the first reference voltage (V1), and the output voltage (Vc) of the solar cell (103) is compared.
Is smaller than the second reference voltage (V2), it has an illuminance deficiency detection means (23) for outputting an illuminance deficiency signal, and the pulse group is composed of 4 or more pulses, and the first pulse (P1) and the last pulse Pulse (P4) for data synchronization and protection, the intermediate pulse is a data bit representing information, and one of the intermediate pulses (P4)
2) is a data bit representing the contact detection data,
The other one of the intermediate pulses (P3) is a data bit representing the illumination shortage signal data, and the measuring tool of the machine tool. 10. A measuring tool (10) removably mounted in a tool mounting hole provided in a spindle (61) of a machine tool,
A measuring device for a machine tool, which is provided in the vicinity of a tool exchange position and has an illuminating means (15) for illuminating the measuring tool for a predetermined time, wherein the measuring tool (10) is brought into contact with a workpiece (W). A probe (11) for detecting the contact position, a contact detection means (27) for detecting contact between the probe (11) and the workpiece (W), and a space propagating wave propagating in the air. At least one transmitting element (104) for transmitting and a pulse group composed of a plurality of pulses of the space propagating wave are transmitted at a predetermined time interval, and the predetermined signal is generated by a contact detection signal from the contact detecting means (27). A transmitter circuit (25) for driving the transmitter element (104) so as to immediately emit a pulse group including contact detection data regardless of a time interval.
A solar cell (103) for supplying power to each circuit provided in the measurement tool (10); a storage unit (29) for storing a current supplied from the solar cell (103); A machine tool measuring device comprising a constant voltage circuit (24) for converting the output voltage of (29) into a constant voltage and supplying power source power to each circuit provided in the measuring tool (10). 11. The machine tool measuring device according to claim 10, wherein the measuring tool (10) uses an output voltage (Vc) of the solar cell (103) as a first reference voltage (V1). In comparison, if the output voltage (Vc) of the solar cell (103) is lower than the first reference voltage (V1), the operation stopping means (22) for stopping the operation of the transmission circuit (25), The output voltage (Vc) of the solar cell (103) is compared with a second reference voltage (V2) larger than the first reference voltage (V1), and the output voltage (Vc) of the solar cell (103) is compared.
Is smaller than the second reference voltage (V2), it has an illuminance deficiency detection means (23) for outputting an illuminance deficiency signal, and the pulse group transmitted by the transmission circuit (25) is composed of 4 or more pulses. , The first pulse (P1) and the last pulse (P4) are bits for data synchronization and protection, the middle pulse is a data bit representing information, and one of the middle pulses (P2) is A measuring device for a machine tool, which is a data bit representing the contact detection data, and another one (P3) of the intermediate pulses is a data bit representing the illuminance shortage signal data.